_Monroe, Iowa._
[For the American Bee Journal.]
Argo’s Puzzle.
R. M. Argo has found a job for Gallup.
That bees will sometimes build worker-comb when there is no queen
present is a positive fact, but the rule is almost invariably drone
comb. The fact that they built one-third drone comb is no proof that
they did not have an old queen. If they are gathering honey abundantly,
they are very apt to build too much drone comb; and sometimes they do so
in such cases, even with a young prolific queen. But with such a queen,
when they are gathering just sufficient to build comb and store but
little honey, the rule is almost invariably worker comb exclusively.
That bees will frequently make preparations for swarming immediately
after being hived is another positive fact, especially when the season
is good and the newly hived swarm is large. The first case of the kind
that came under my observation, occurred a number of years ago in
Canada. I hived an extra large swarm for a neighbor, sometime in the
forenoon. About four o’clock in the afternoon the shout came across the
mill stream, “my bees are going off!” I left all, and followed them to a
large pine stub. I cut down the stub, split it open, took out the bees,
put them in the same hive. That night they were sold as an _unlucky_
swarm, removed 3½ miles, and in just eight days from the time they were
replaced in the hive, they sent out a large swarm, which left for the
woods. The bees then belonged to my cousin. They left on Saturday. On
Sunday I went to church close by my cousin’s, and he informed me that
his bees had filled their hive and swarmed, and the swarm left for parts
unknown. I was rather incredulous, but after church went and made an
examination. Sure enough, the hive was completely filled and several
sealed queen cells were in sight, with several more unsealed near the
bottom of the comb. The hive was a box twelve inches square by fourteen
inches high, and when the swarm was hived I had to put on a large box
before the bees could all be got in the hive. That box was nearly filled
with comb, but the bees that went off took the honey with them. On the
fifteenth day they sent out a second swarm. So much for purchasing an
_unlucky_ swarm!--Since then I have had several cases of the same kind
come under my observation; one in the summer of 1868, and another this
summer. The one in 1868 was not a large swarm, and they did not fill
their hive before sending out a swarm. The case this season was a large
artificial swarm made by putting together bees from several hives, with
a queen.--I should be strongly inclined to think that, in your case,
they started queen cells for the purpose of superseding the old queen.
When a queen has begun to fail at about swarming time, and forage is
abundant, they cast a swarm. In my case, in 1868, it was no doubt caused
by the bees superseding the old queen. I had a case this season, where
the first swarm came out with a young queen, leaving the old queen in
the hive, with plenty of sealed queen cells. In another case, when
making an artificial swarm, I found the old queen and a young one both,
fertile, with several sealed queen cells.